Rhode Island transportation jobs added
Posted on July 25, 2015
Rhode Island transportation jobs, among other types of jobs, were added in May, according to a recent employment press release.
The RI Department of Labor and Training said that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2015 dropped to 5.9 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the April 2015 rate of 6.1 percent. Over the year, the unemployment rate is down two percentage points from the May 2014 rate.
This is the lowest unemployment rate since November 2007.
Estimated nonfarm payroll in Rhode Island totaled 484,700 in May, reflecting a gain of 3,400 jobs from the revised April estimate of 481,300. Three consecutive months of job gains have provided an additional 6,300 jobs to the local economy. Nearly three-quarters of the 39,800 jobs lost during the state’s recession have been recovered as total employment is now down 11,000 from the peak level established in December 2006.
Employment in the Accommodation & Food Services sector continues to grow as 1,300 workers were added to the May payroll. In all, this industry sector has grown by 2,200 since the start of the year. Mild temperatures in May and a spectator crowd in Newport exceeding expectations for a world sailing race were contributing factors to the robust gain.
Jobs in Professional & Business Services rose by 1,000, marking two consecutive months of job gains totaling 2,400 jobs and establishing a record high employment level for this sector.
Preliminary data in May reports indicates that the Financial Activities sector added 500 jobs since April, the largest over-the-month gain since July 2000 (+500).
In addition, the Other Services (+400), Transportation & Utilities (+300), Manufacturing (+300), Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (+200), Wholesale Trade (+200) and Construction (+100) sectors all reported over-the-month job growth.
A total of four industry sectors reported employment declines in May, led by the Government sector which fell by 300 jobs, followed by a loss of 200 jobs in each of the Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services and Retail Trade sectors.
Employment in Information and Mining & Logging remain unchanged.